Alcock and Brown/Marconi Memorials

 If there is one thing that we learned today it is that if you are not Irish the tourism sector in County Mayo is not overly interested in celebrating their accomplishments.

We visited the site of where Francisco Marconi had his massive telegraph broadcasting station set up.  He was Italian.  It also happens to be where John Alcock (relative of Helen's) and Arthur Brown (both British) landed after their precarious flight across the Atlantic in 1919.  In doing so they became the first to fly non stop across the Atlantic.  You would think that neither Marconi's accomplishments with the telegraph or Alcock and Browns flying exploits had ever happened.  Thee is little to no signage to its location and the parking lot/explanation boards are slowly disappearing into the weeds and vegetation.  The Alcock and Brown Memorial (as strange as it is) is badly in need of a refresher.  We, however, enjoyed our hike out to the site despite the 'gale force' winds and the drizzle that was falling.

On our way back to Westport we took a detour through the Doo Lough Valley.  This is the site of a really sad famine story/tragedy!  County Mayo was one of the hardest hit areas when the Great Potato Famine hit in 1845.  County Mayo rural folk depended almost exclusively on the potato for their food.  In the Winter of 1849 it is estimated that about 600 starving Irish walked 12 miles from Louisburgh to Delphi Lodge hoping that their landlord would provide them with some food.  When they arrived they were turned away.  On the walk back it is estimated that about 200 of them died.  As you drive through the valley you get a 'strange' feeling.  You can almost feel a 'ghost like' presence!

View from our hotel room in Westport

Killary Fiord

Parking lot at Alcock and Brown Memorial

Peat piled on the way out to the memorial

Peat being transported at the memorial

The Alcock and Brown Memorial

Kylemore Abbey

Doo Lough Valley

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Amazing Architecture

Image
 Our drive today across the south of Ireland compared to so many others on this trip was almost boring.  The terrain was reasonably flat but the roads were anything but straight.  We saw something other than sheep for a change.  It was obvious that we were travelling through 'dairy' country.  Holsteins dotted the landscape and for the first time we actually saw evidence of grain growing and even a few corn fields. As we were sitting enjoying our bottle of wine in our room last night (bought downstairs in the hotel bar), we decided that we should visit the Rock of Cashel.  This is a castle built originally in the 12th Century and given to the church by the local 'king'.  It is somewhat of a mythical religious shrine.  Extensions were built in the 13th and 15th Centuries.  It is now of course a ruin as most of these old castles are today.  The architectural abilities and workmanship of those long ago days puts our buildings today to shame....
Read more

Black Cab Tour

Image
 This afternoon we took a Black Cab Tour of Belfast.  For more than 90 minutes we were toured through the streets of Belfast looking at the political murals commemorating the years from 1969 to 2000.  This period is commonly known as the 'Troubles'.  Although interestingly enough, our guide only used the term once instead choosing to refer to the time as 'The Conflict'.  This was a political conflict between the catholic sector led by the IRA (Irish Republican Army) against the British Government.  The IRA wanted political independence for Northern Ireland.  The IRA used bombs and targeted killings.  The Police/British Forces used just about as brutal of tactics.  About 3000 people were killed during the conflict.  A wall was built between the Catholic section of the city and the protestant territory.  Still today, 24 years after a peace agreement was signed, the wall still exists.  All but one of the gates between the 2 areas ...
Read more

Inis Oirr

Image
 A boat ride was in store for today out to Inis Oirr.  Inis Oirr is the smallest of the Aran Islands.  It is one desolate piece of rock.  They have very little soil.  They make more soil by mixing seaweed with sand and spreading it around.  Can you imagine?  The island has 300 permanent residents.  The island has 500 to 600 cattle.  They graze in fields the size of postage stamps. Daily they are moved to a different field.  It makes no sense! But our tour was a fun one.  We took a horse and wagon tour of the island.  Thomas was our guide.  He has lived here his whole life.  Toby was our horse.  To say that Toby had an attitude would be putting it mildly.  He moved at his own pace and as Thomas said, "he cannot be persuaded otherwise but he is a good horse'!  While other horses and wagons were galloping past us, Toby just plodded along!  It was a fun experience. On our way back we were treated to a ...
Read more